Floyd Mayweather: Whatever the best thing my opponent brings to the table, I feel like I can do it better

By Arvin Nundloll

Floyd Mayweather returns to the ring on September 14, 2013 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to take on one of his toughest challengers in recent times, Canelo Alvarez. Both fighters are undefeated and in the build up to this event, Mayweather took time out to talk about this super fight at an exclusive press conference in NYC.

When questioned about how the fight became a reality, Floyd commentated that is was Canelo’s idea for the catch weight.

“He caught himself pulling my cards. So of course when you do something like that, my team comes to me and says ‘this is what we have on the table.’ I was like ‘uh well, let’s make it happen.”

On the failed Pacquiao fight, Floyd stated that he wasn’t at fault.

“The Pacquiao fight didn’t happen in the past. It didn’t because it wasn’t my fault. I feel like every fighter should go through the same obstacles that I go through.”

After paying the sanctioning fees to the WBA, Floyd had some harsh words about how there are too many belts in the sport.

“Another thing we really need is to clean up this sport. I think there are too many belts in the sport of boxing. How am I the WBA champion, if Trout, if I beat Miguel Cotto for the WBA championship, how did Trout beat him for the WBA championship? These are the things that I just don’t understand about what’s going on in the sport of boxing. We really need to clean this sport up. I don’t have anything against any sanctioning body but this is a professional level and we need to handle business in a professional manner.

“Trout paid the sanctioning fee, I paid the sanctioning fee and now they’re saying Canelo is the WBA champion. I just don’t understand it. I don’t mind paying my sanctioning fee, but If I’m the champion and all this super champion stuff, I’m totally against it. I honestly feel that Canelo is the WBC champion ad Floyd Mayweather is the WBA champion. I’m also the WBC champion at welterweight.”

If Floyd were to win all of his scheduled fights with Showtime, he would be on the verge of matching Rocky Maricano’s undefeated record of 49-0, but Floyd wouldn’t talk about it just yet.

“Don’t ask me about breaking no records. We take one step at a time, one fight at a time. Once we reach 49 (-0) that’s what it is.”

Floyd also felt that he is not getting the credit that is due to him.

“I’m never going to get my credit that I’m due. I didn’t fight in those guys’ era, I’m in a total different era where it takes six months to build a pay-per view fight whereas then you got guys fighting once a month, you got guys fighting some guys four or five times. I feel like in my era, the only thing I want to do is to continue to beat the best that’s put in front of me in my era. It’s the only thing I can do.”

After seeing Broner’s performance against Malignaggi, Floyd offered his support for Broner.

“I look at Adrien Broner like Daniel-san and I’m Mr. Miyagi. We never see Daniel-san go against Mr. Miyagi so I’m proud (of) Adrien Broner’s victory, you know, there’s a lot of things he still has to learn. I think, me personally he should have got the knockout the other day. You know, I m going to continue to support him.”

Speaking about Canelo when he took on Trout, Floyd had it closer than most.

“I think he got the victory but it was a lot closer than they scored it. Trout has never fought a fight with the crowd so huge before. I think that there was a lot of pressure on him. I feel like Trout was the busier fighter, Canelo was landing the bigger shots.”

When FightNews questioned Floyd on Canelo’s perfect record and if that means a more dangerous opponent, Floyd stated that he was prepared for anything.

“The thing with Floyd Mayweather, it’s not what a guys’ record is, if we want to talk about it, Guerrero he had a loss but he went back and beat the guy. I don’t really go in there looking at a guy’s record. Me myseIf, I can adapt and make adjustments. I feel like whatever the best thing my opponent brings to the table, I feel like I can do it better. Canelo is a young champion and incredible young guy. The only thing I can do is go to camp, talk with my father (and) prepare myself. I never worry about anything ever.

Mayweather also expressed his intent to one day fight at the legendary Madison Square Garden.

“It’s been one of my ultimate goals to fight at Madison Square Garden, of course I want to”.

Floyd recalled his love for the gym at an early age and how he would go as often as he could

“I can remember like erm, just going to the gym, going to the boxing gym like it was yesterday just standing on the chair. People used to come the boxing gym just to actually see me when I was a kid and say ‘there he go right there, there he go right there.’ They’d tell always ask me ‘get in the chair, get in the chair and let us see you hit the bags.’ The speed bag was probably my favorite punching bag at that particular time. They’d say ‘get in the chair and let me see you hit that speed bag.’

“If my dad didn’t take me to the boxing gym, oh man I’d cry, I’d cry all day. I wanted to go to the boxing gym every day, I wanted to go to the boxing gym on Sunday, Saturday and Sunday, every day.”

In closing, Floyd stated that he would one day reveal all his tips and tricks that saw him through all of his fights.

“Once I get to 49 and, which I know I am and I believe in my skills and I believe in myself, once I get to 49-0, when my career is over then I’m going to tell you everything that certain fighters done good and certain fighters done bad and why I had the advantage over all of them.”

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Tickets priced at $2,000, $1,500, $1,000, $600 and $350, not including applicable service charges, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person, a limit of 10 per person at the $2,000, $1,500, $1,000 and $600 price levels and a limit of two per person at the $350 price level, go on sale on Tuesday, June 25 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m PT. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.